Bromley Council Recycles

How the London Borough of Bromley reduced waste disposal and increased recycling efforts across the borough.

Since 2005 the London Borough of Bromley has worked to cut waste disposal and increase the percentage of household waste sent for re-using, recycling, and composting. Through careful planning and the implementation of compulsory recycling schemes across the Borough they have managed to increase the rate of recycling and composting from 27.25% in 2005/06 up to 40.20% in 2009/10.

Bromley continues to bring in new schemes to further decrease the amount of waste which needs to be taken to landfill.

The methods used by Bromley are easily replicated. Together, communities can work to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills.

About Bromley

a few facts

The London Borough of Bromley is situated in the SE of London just on the outer edge of Greater London, bordering Kent. It borders the London Boroughs of Croydon, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley, and the districts of Sevenoaks and Tandridge. It contains the two major town centres of Orpington and Bromley and four district town centres, Beckenham, Penge, West Wickham, and Petts Wood. Biggin Hill Airfield can be found in the rural area at the southern end of the Borough.

Bromley is the largest of all London's Boroughs, occupying 59 square miles. In 2008, Bromley reported a population of 302,600 with the majority living in the more urban areas to the north of the borough.

Waste Full Facts About London Borough of Bromley

The ecological and carbon footprints in Bromley are amongst the highest in Greater London.

The amount of municipal waste sent to landfill in Bromley has decreased significantly over the past few years.

Bromley has one of the highest household waste recycling rates in London.

The total municipal waste sent to landfill in 2009/10 is 150,807 tonnes, a reduction of more than 8,000 tonnes from the 158,447 tonnes in 2008/09.

The amount of municipal waste sent to landfill now accounts for less than 40 per cent of all waste produced (2009/10).

27% of all municipal waste can now be incinerated.

In 2009/10 Bromley sent 37,873 tonnes of municipal waste to landfill, well below its target for 2009/10 of 76,569 tonnes. The amount of waste going to landfill in Bromley has declined from 63,956 tonnes in 2005/06 to 44,653 tonnes in 2008/09.

In Bromley the amount of household waste collected per person per year has fallen by 12 per cent over the last four years, from 498 kg per person in 2006/07 to 439 kg in 2009/10.

Bromley ranks 6th highest out of all the London Boroughs for percentage of household waste recycled and composted in 2000/10.

The overall recycling and composting rate has improved by almost 25 per cent since 2000/01 from 15.5 to 40.2 in 2009/10.

Paper waste is collected weekly

Paper is biodegradeable so why should we recycle it? Why not just put it into landfills? There are three very good reasons we should recycle paper.

1. When paper breaks down in a landfill it produces methane gas.2. Recycling paper decreases the need to produce virgin paper.3. Recycled paper takes less energy to produce than virgin paper.

Plastic, Glass and Metal Recycling in Bromley

Collected bi-weekly

London Borough of Bromley collects plastics, glass, and metals for recycling bi-weekly, alternating the collection with the collection of non-recyclable waste.

Each Borough of Bromley household has been given a 53 litre green box to contain plastics, glass, and metals. To make things easier for Bromley residents, plastics, metals, and glass can be placed in the same bin. These are then separated out after collection.

If you tend to accumulate more items for recycling than can be contained in a single box, you can contact the Borough to have more delivered. I regularly put out 2 filled boxes of glass,metal, and plastics.

Food Waste

collected weekly

Within the past 5 years Bromley has been implementing food waste collection throughout the entire Borough. It started in a few trial areas, and once they'd ironed out a few problems was taken Borough-wide. Food waste is now collected and taken to where it can be heated to a very high temperature then composted. The composted material is then used in public parks throughout Bromley.

Every household was given two containers for collecting food waste. A smaller inside tub which can hold a 1 liter compostable bag. Households are given 2 X 50 bag rolls each year and extra can be purchased through local libraries. A larger tub with a lockable lid is provided to place food waste in for the weekly collection. The lock is very effective for keeping foxes and other neighbourhood wildlife from getting into the tub.

Since Bromley implemented a full range of options for recycling and kerbside collection we have gone from putting out 2 - 3 bags of waste each week to putting out 1 - 2 boxes of paper recycling weekly, 1- 2 bins of paper, plastic, and metal bi-weekly, a half-tub of food waste weekly, and less than 1 bag of non-recyclable waste bi-weekly.

Composting at Home Those who would like to compost food waste at home can purchase composting bins in assorted sizes plus water butts for collecting rainwater at a discounted price through Bromley Council. These will be delivered free of charge.

Resources

Information about recycling in the London Borough of Bromley and about recycling in general were found through the following sources.

London Borough of Bromleys Household waste and recycling collections and Household waste and recycling collections information. Bromley is recycling more than ever and now can collect large, bulky household items and electronic appliances with advance arrangement.